Practical Benefits of SDL
The development of a self-directed learning (SDL) program in an educational institution provides a number of benefits to the individuals taking part in the program and to the institution itself. An educational institution is typically focused on ‘directed’ learning, the type of educational enterprise that is led by a teacher. Much can be gained from this approach to education, but it does not always develop in learners an intrinsic motivation to continue learning after they leave the educational institution. SDL can provide its participants an understanding of “how to learn,” something that they carry with them into real life and after they leave the educational institution. Learning and education should ideally be viewed as a life-long process, and if an educational institution is to serve its clients well, it should prepare them not just for learning within the four walls of a classroom but for learning in the world at large and for an entire lifetime. This is what SDL attempts.
SDL achieves its lifelong educational objectives by inculcating within the learner a set of attitudes and skills for lifelong learning. It emphasizes that the learning is self-directed, hence self-motivated. The learner is studying those things in which he is most interested. Thus motivation is at a high level. The learner finds that the learning process is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Therefore, he becomes trained to and motivated to continue this learning not just when he is in attendance at the educational institution but also after he leaves the institution. He then has positive attitudes toward a lifelong process of learning.
Many learning skills are inculcated into the learner. He refines his conceptualization skills by investigating and selecting topics to study. He refines his investigation skills by undertaking research on his chosen topics, such as by performing library and Internet research. He refines his language skills as he sets about to develop reports on his chosen topics. He practices reading in the act of research, and he practices writing in the act of preparing written reports. He practices listening and speaking in the group work of SDL.
When SDL is established as a group learning process, the learner also inculcates a number of important social skills. He learns how to coordinate and to cooperate learning with a team of individuals. This process includes leadership skills development and social skills development, all of which may serve the indivual in his later work settings at his work sites. Such leadership and cooperative skills often are as important or even more important than the academic and cognitive skills that the learner picks up in his SDL activities and in his directed learning at the educational institution.
In summary, it can be seen that there are many important practical benefits from having an SDL program at an educational institution. These benefits range from attitudes formation for lifelong learning, to investigative learning skills development, to linguistic skills development, and to social and cooperative learning skills development, as well as leadership skills development. SDL is a winning enterprise – the learners are the winners and the educational and work institutions are also winners in this educational enterprise.